Hello, my name is Fritz, the POLA bear. I’m the mascot of Least Authority TFA GmbH, and this is my story.
In November 2016 – at about the same time when Least Authority TFA GmbH was founded – a polar bear was born in the sprawling Tierpark Zoo, Berlin. The über cute fluffy baby polar bear was named ‘Fritz’. Berliners had barely finished celebrating the birth of this adorable ball of fluff when he fell ill and died aged just four months. In his memory, my friends at Least Authority decided to embrace a polar bear lookalike as a mascot and calling it ‘Fritz’.
Now I didn’t want to be just another polar bear, who is sweet and cuddly. I meant business and wanted to be someone who could represent my company’s values. Least Authoritarians agreed with me 100%. I was created to symbolize the Principle of Least Authority, a core security principle and came to be known as Fritz, the POLA bear. I stand tall, strong and proud to exemplify the Principle of Least Authority, an important design consideration that my company focuses on to enhance the protection of your data.
I am a no-nonsense type of bear in a uniform, who believes that excessive authority invites abuse. I agree with my friend Brian Warner who defines the principle of least authority as the idea “that any component of the system should have as little power of authority as it needs to get its job done. The motivation is that software components get compromised, have bugs, and can be tricked into doing the wrong thing. But if the component is as minimally powered as possible, then the attacker doesn’t get enough power to do anything interesting. Or at least you’re minimizing the damage they can do.” Makes perfect sense to me.
As I understand it, the Principle of Least Authority is similar to giving a valet a car key that doesn’t allow him to open the trunk or allowing a teenager a credit card with a small, fixed spending limit. That being the case, I always have a lock and a bunch of keys hanging from my belt. I make sure that I provide just the right amount of authority in time, to get the job done and keep the excess authority out.
There is no denying the fact that few creatures anywhere can match me in strength. I am a tough cookie, and I am well-equipped for survival in a harsh environment. When you use our products designed according to the principle of least authority, I use all my might to significantly reduce security incidents and limit the damage to your data, resulting from an accident or error or unauthorized use.
I am very private, and I value my freedom. I often have spirited talks with Least Authoritarians about POLA-focused security architecture and creating freedom compatible technologies. It makes me feel good to see how they give precedence to the principle when they design their products. Unlike most of the cloud storage companies, Least Authority’s products let you stay independent of the service provider. You do not have to depend on the provider to guarantee the confidentiality or integrity of your date – only it’s availability. To put it succinctly you can reliably share your information without the fear of service providers (big corporations) accessing your data and enjoy your freedom and privacy like I do.
Now that you know a little bit about me – Fritz the POLA bear – my strengths, and my love for freedom and privacy, check out and subscribe to our über cool S4 cloud storage. S4 is designed according to the principle of least authority. Take advantage of all the benefits and keep yourself safe from more security risks.
If you have any questions and comments contact me. I wear my cell phone on my belt, and I respond ASAP.